Need help on Pituophis, please

[LdyDrgn]

Tim caught a baby Pacific Gopher snake for me Monday evening as he was getting ready to leave work (it was rescued from certain death). I've been doing some research and I'm coming up with conflicting info. Some sites say 'Pituophis melanoleucus catenifer' and others say 'Pituophis catenifer catenifer'. I would like this clarified for me if anyone knows for absolute sure. Thanks a bunch! [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]



_________________
"If love was a choice, who would ever choose such exquisite pain?"
- Tuptim, King's concubine from Anna and the King

[najaboy]

The Pacific gopher is P. c. catenifer. They used to be considered a subspecies of melanoleucus, but that classification is no longer valid.

From the moment they were first described in 1835, gopher snakes were P. catenifer. Then, in the late 80's, they were lumped in melanoleucus. Finally, within the past decade, they were once again recognized as their own species.
[addsig]

Ahhh, another pituophis recruit, excellent! My little girl, Tomato, is on the way from Telefrag next week. She's Pituophis Melanoleucus Sayi though, but pits are pits, they ROCK!! I'm so excited, I've wanted a Bull since the early 90's now I'm finally gonna get one.

Then in a couple years Naja's Pituophis Melanoleucus Melanoleucus will hopefully have produced offspring and I'll have MORE pits [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

Congrats Michelle and good job Tim!!!

_________________
Rome did not build a great empire by having meetings, they did it by killing all who opposed them!

Jay

[telefrag]

>>Ahhh, another pituophis recruit, excellent! My little girl, Tomato, is on the way from Telefrag next week. She's Pituophis Melanoleucus Sayi ...


I thought they were just P.sayi now,
but I may be wrong on that.

its hard to tell these days,
thats why I call em Bulls,

[img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_razz.gif[/img]
[addsig]

[LdyDrgn]

Thanks Ken, I knew I could count on you!

J...I'll tell Tim FooFoo you said good job. Hmmm...should have been here last night, tho...one of the bunnies refused to die [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]

Thanks again Matt, for pointing out what the snake was in the first place.

You guys ROCK! **LdyDrgn does the happy dance....**
[addsig]

Those silly bunnies...Tim needs a bigger hammer or something [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]

Ahh, I have been corrected by the Zen master of scientific names....ok, what I put WAS valid at one point... *Shrug* Bull snake
[addsig]

[najaboy]

Actually Jay, Pituophis melanoleucus sayi is the currently recognized taxon for bulls.

Bullsnake taxonomy is a rather touchy subject. Some workers place them under catenifer based on their similar appearance to gophers. However, the meristics of their scalation indicates a closer relationship to melanoleucus.